I fell into this article this morning while making my rounds. It highlights the impending arrival of Earth Day, and notes the rising number of religious communities reflecting on the links between ethics, environmentalism, our food, and our theology.

Today we take our food very much for granted. But this little article was timely not only because of Earth Day, not simply because we are increasingly interested in our personal and collective impact on our environment (and how it affects others), but because we’ve just exited the Great Fast – that time of year when we are very conscious of what we eat, how much we eat, how it is prepared etc.

Lent is over – but can we carry over some of the awareness of the lenten discipline into the rest of the liturgical year, and ask some tough questions about where our food comes from, how it is produced, and what effect that has on those who live around us?

I’ve been more aware over the past few years than ever before of the number of OC/IC folk who are comitted vegetarians and have always wanted to ask – is it because of your faith that you have chosen this discipline; and if so, would you be so kind as to talk about that with the rest of us (even here perhaps)?

Food is not just something you shove in yoru mouth to satisfy a need – it is a product of someone elses labour (maybe even yours) and that labour needs to be respected.